Captain Mal Meets His Match
by Minstrel164
Summary: The famous Captain Mal finally meets his match in the form of Lieutenant Chloe


Captain Mal Meets His Match

by Minstrel164

_**I got this idea the other day when I was watching a few episodes of Firely. I imagined a debate between Castle and Kate. It's a little fluffy piece. I hope you like it. Enjoy.**_

Castle burst through the doorway of his office with an excited look on his face to a crescendo of music that only he could hear in his head, and came to stand in the living room. He unhosltered the imitation six-shooter hanging from his hip and began to twirl it around his finger, like some cocky gunslinger. Hearing the noise Beckett slowly turned away from the documentary on TV to find Castle dressed in his Captain Mal costume. For a moment she did not react to the sight before her. Then she arched a single eyebrow in his beaming direction.

"So what do you think?" Castle asked expectantly. He gave his six-shooter another twirl before expertly sliding it back into the holster. He held out his arms wide as if he was waiting for a round of applause.

"What are you supposed to be, Castle?"

"A space cowboy."

Beckett nodded her head slowly as her eyes roamed up and down his costumed body. It took a great effort on her part not to smile at the sight of him dressed in braces and tan coloured button up pants, red shirt and brown coat. She had seen him wearing the costume before, a long time ago, that night they had walked through that cemetery to find a body stabbed through the heart with a stake. He had looked pretty good back then she remembered. And he looked pretty good now, she noted.

"I didn't think there were any cows in space?" She said finally.

Castle's beaming smile switched off instantly, he dropped his hands to his sides and narrowed his eyes as he looked at Kate.

"Have you been talking to Alexis?" He asked suspiciously.

"No, why?" Kate asked innocently.

Actually she had, just the other day, when they had met for coffee, the subject of costumes had come up because Castle's Halloween party was only a couple of weeks away and Alexis had asked Kate if she had decided what costume she would be wearing at the party. Kate confided that she had not decided on a costume yet but had one or two ideas. Kate had teased Alexis, asking if she was going to go as a Havacura. Both women had a good laugh at the memory over Castle's reaction on finding his daughter dressed a member of a tribe of female assassins at Supernovacon that one time. Alexis had remarked that she was not planning on giving her father a heart attack.

That was when Alexis had mentioned about her dad's favourite costume, Captain Mal Reynolds. She had also told Kate what she had said to her father when he had worn it that time.

"Oh, no reason." Castle said quickly.

Kate nodded her head and then turned her head to watch the TV.

"So who are you supposed to be, Castle, really?" She asked.

"Captain Malcolm Reynolds." Castle said proudly.

"Oh, from that lame spaceghetti western." Beckett said nodding her head.

"What do you mean, lame spaceghetti western?"

"Well it was, wasn't it? I'm not surprised it got cancelled." Kate said derisively.

Castle let out a gasp of outrage. He could not believe that the love of his life was dissing one of his favourite sci-fi shows. He walked over to where Beckett was reclining on the couch. His steps faltered a little. Kate was wearing her Lieutenant Chloe outfit. His eyes darted about checking for any signs of that Creaver mask. He sometimes still got flashbacks to that first night she had worn the uniform for him and frightened the life out of him. Thankfully she had not worn that mask ever again but he still checked for that horrid mask, just in case.

Satisfied there was no Creaver mask in the vicinity he could not help himself but his eyes raked over her long legs. She had been wrong about her legs looking great in Lieutenant Chloe's uniform, they looked absolutely fantastic!

Remembering that she had disparaged one of his favourite sci-fi shows, he felt honour bound to defend it. Reluctantly he dragged his eyes off her legs and up to her face.

"I'll have you know that Captain Mal could whoop your Captain Max any old day." Castle challenged proudly.

"A Thorian blaster against a six-shooter? Pft!" Beckett retorted. "My money'd be on the guy with the blaster."

"Well, _The Serenity_ was a much cooler space ship than _The Nebula 9_." Castle countered.

"Yeah, if you like smelly, clapped out flying junk masquerading as space freighters." Beckett said dismissively.

Castle was stunned at what he was hearing. He took a few steps closer to the couch.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing." Castle said, shocked.

"Truth hurts, huh?"

"I'll have you know that _The Serenity_ was a beautiful ship."

"_The Enterprise_, in all its variants, was a beautiful ship, _The Voyager_, was a beautiful ship, _The Nebula 9_, was a beautiful ship._ The Serenity..._" Kate paused and cast a glance in Castle's direction.

Castle raised his eyebrows in expectation.

"_The Serenity_ is a Model T Ford in a verse of Bugatti Veyrons."

Castle never ceased to be amazed that Kate knew her cars. He found it rather hot that she was a bit of a rev head, actually more than a bit. He quickly pushed aside that thought when he realised that he was losing this debate. Every point he had raised Kate had shot down with all the ease of swatting a fly.

"But even you have to concede it was a cool opening theme?" Castle said trying not to whine.

Kate glanced up at Castle and moved her head from side to side as if she was thinking about it.

"It was alright, I guess." She conceded.

"You guess?" Castle spluttered.

"Castle, are we going to spend the entire evening arguing over the merits of our favourite sci-fi shows or are we going to watch the sci-fi marathon of my choice?" Kate demanded waving her hand in the direction of the TV.

Castle frowned. He had lost a bet with Kate over something he could not even remember now, and as the loser he had to sit through a _Nebula 9_ marathon. The first time he had sat through that marathon it had been bad, the second and third times it had been excruciating, especially when he was not allowed to provide his own running commentary to lessen the pain. Having to listen to the corny dialogue was like listening to someone scratch their fingernails across a blackboard. This was going to be what, the fourth, no fifth time he would subject himself to this form of torture. What was the word that was worse than 'excruciating' he wondered?

"You going to get the popcorn, or just stand there?" Beckett asked.

"Popcorn coming right up." Castle nodded.

Castle suddenly became animated, he removed his coat and gun belt leaving them on a chair as he headed into the kitchen. Getting popcorn and various other snacks that they would need was one way of delaying the inevitable. But not for long.

Castle returned to the living room loaded down with a large bowl of popcorn and various other items and carefully set them down on the coffee table and pushed the table closer to the couch so that it could be within easy reach.

Kate was sitting up on the couch after having gotten up to put in the first DVD of the sci-fi marathon. Castle was a little disappointed that he missed watching Kate putting in the DVD into the machine. Her legs were not the only part of her anatomy that looked great in her Lieutenant Chloe uniform.

Kate shot him a knowing smirk, almost as if she had read his thoughts, and picked up the the remote. She pointed it at the TV and pressed play.

Castle braced himself for the opening strains of _the Nebula 9_ theme music. It was truly an awful TV theme song. A sarcastic barb leaped to his tongue but he pursed his lips tightly. He closed his eyes and summoned the last vestiges of will power. He had promised her he would not make sarcastic remarks about her favourite sci-fi show and he would keep that promise, no matter how painful it was to him.

But there was no truly awful theme music. Instead he heard a single guitar. A familiar song.

"_Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand..."_

Castle snapped open his eyes and turned his head in the direction of the TV and saw the opening credits of _Firefly_. He blinked several times in confusion. Slowly he turned away from the TV to look at Kate.

"Kate, I thought..."

"What?"

Castle was looking a little confused. He pointed towards the TV to the show now playing.

"The winner got the sci-fi marathon of their choice." Kate explained.

Castle looked down at Kate, his mouth opening and closing a couple of times but no words coming out.

"Get over here, Captain Tight Pants." Kate smiled as she patted the couch.

Castle's face broke into a bright smile, he did not need to be told twice. Swiftly he moved over to the couch and stretched out. Kate slinked across to nestle against him resting her head on his chest. His arms encircled her. This was their usual and favourite viewing positions.

"I thought you didn't like this show?" Castle questioned.

"I never said I didn't like it."

"But...but..."

Kate lifted her head so that she could look at him. Amusement danced in her eyes and suddenly she started laughing.

"So easy, Rick." She shook her head. "So very easy."

Castle let out a mock outraged sigh. She had gotten him yet again. It was almost as if it was her favourite sport and she was very good at it too. Kate laughed and then settled down again.

"Exasperating woman." He muttered.

"Yeah, but you love me."

Castle rested his chin gently on her head, and smiled.

"Yeah, I love you." He whispered.

Kate's smile deepened. She wondered if she would ever tire of hearing him say those words to her. She did not think so, not in this lifetime.

She snuggled closer to him.

"Love you more, Rick." She whispered back.

The end.

XXXXX

_**I'd like to hear your thoughts on this little effort.**_

_**Con **_


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